A Thief and her Straw Hat
by Cee-CeetheHedgie
Summary: A bunch of One-Shots about LuNa and the Straw Hats. Now up- Conversations with my 13 year old self
1. Little Lost Zoro

Zoro was sick of trees.

That was something that he had established about twenty dozen trees ago. They were everywhere. If he turned left, there they were; same result when he turned right. They seemed to be mocking him, their leafy branches waving at him and making a low, rustling sound that sounded like laughter. If his crew saw him, he was sure that they would join in with the giggling trees and tease him.

He was NOT lost, dammit. Just directionally challenged.

Zoro sighed audibly as he swiped Wado Ichimonji at a low branch in his way, muttering curses under his breath. He stumbled onwards, calling the 'witch' all the names under the sun for navigating their crew to an overgrown island that was infested with trees, and not one of those names were in any way affectionate. It was her fault that he was now stumbling around in the middle of nowhere, with no means of finding his crew. Zoro decided that whenever he did find them, he would give the witch a piece of his mind- or, at least after a bottle or two of well-earned sake.

The green-haired swordsman scratched at his arm, scowling when he noticed bright red welts and hives blemishing his skin after a run-in with a particularly angry poison ivy bush. It was itchy and annoying him to no end, and the mosquitoes that were trying to make friends with his face weren't helping matters. Zoro swatted a mosquito that had landed on his scarred cheek, recoiling in disgust when he saw the dark blood smeared across his hand and felt it smothering his cheek.

He sighed and wiped his hand on his damp shirt, lifting the bottom of it up to his face and wiping the sticky blood from his face as well as the sweat that dripped down it in buckets. The heat of the forest and the exhaustion from the constant hiking was getting to him, so to distract himself and to pass the time, Zoro thought up witty one-liners he could bring up in his 'conversation' with the Straw Hats' Navigator to stun her into silence.

Why don't you go navigate yourself off a cliff?

Nah, too morbid.

Is 'the middle of nowhere' an expression that Navigators use when they're lost and don't want to admit it?

No good; it's too long and nowhere near as clever as the insults he aimed at Ero-Cook every day.

What about-

Zoro froze as he heard rustling coming from about a hundred metres ahead of him. This was a different kind of rustling to that of the trees swaying in the barely-there wind; he could detect muffled voices talking to one another. Slowly, he placed Wado in his mouth and unsheathed Kitetsu and Shusui from their scabbards, bringing them up to his sides. Moving forward with the quietness and agility of a predator stalking their prey, he raised Kitetsu in his right hand as he covered the last ten metres or so to discover-

Zoro froze yet again, this time shock being the reason he lost the will to move instead of his survival instincts. Or, who knows, maybe it was his survival skills that were screaming at him to stop before he interrupted their 'quiet time' together.

In front of him, Luffy was facing away from Zoro. Both he and the orange haired Navigator in his arms were unaware of the intruder, being too absorbed in each other's kisses to notice. Zoro backed up until he hit a tree before turning and leaving them behind with haste. On his travels in the opposite direction, he met Ussop, Robin and Brook heading in the direction of Luffy and Nami. Ussop was busy swatting the flies away, while Brook was getting riled up over the fact that the mosquitoes were being 'rude' by ignoring him. Robin, as always, had a knowing smile dancing around her face. Zoro held Kitetsu and Shusui out, blocking their path. Wado was safely sheathed at his side, having been put back in its rightful place after the scene he had stumbled upon.

"Hey, Zoro! What are you doing? The ship is in this direction!" Ussop complained, still slapping away the irritating mosquitoes that were attracted to his overly long nose.

"We're going the long way."

"Wha- but we'll get lost, Zoro! You can go that way, but the great Captain Ussop is not going to stray from-"

"I said we're going the long way, Ussop. Suck it up."

Ussop made a noise that sounded like a baby Sea King being strangled, before looking to Robin and Brook for support. Robin shrugged in that lady-like way of hers and started walking back in the direction they had come in, while Brook yohoho-ed his way after her. Zoro stared Ussop in the eye, daring him to challenge the swordsman. The sniper gulped; Zoro could give a mean death glare, despite only having one eye.

Finally giving in, Ussop sighed in defeat and trudged after the retreating forms of Robin and Brook, with Zoro tagging close behind. He stuck his bottom lip out like Luffy would have done in his situation. Speaking of Luffy…

"Oi, where's Luffy?" the sharpshooter inquired.

"None of your business."

"Okay, then. Why are we heading away from the ship?"

"We're getting lost."

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHH?!"

Ussop's eyes bugged out of his head. Why was Zoro bringing them down to his level? Worse still, why was Robin going along with it? He could understand Brook coming along without a care in the world – the undead musician would do anything for a lady in the hopes of seeing a flash of some panties. Robin peered back at him over her shoulder, smiling gently at Ussop and Zoro.

"Long-Nose-kun, if Swordsman-kun suggests that getting lost is the best decision, then so be it. I'm sure he has a reason behind his logic."

Ussop sighed; the raven haired archaeologist was right. Zoro would never admit his weakness in public, so something big must have happened to pry those dreaded words from his mouth. He briefly wondered if it something to do with Luffy, seeing how tight-lipped the green haired muscle machine was about his whereabouts. He probably wasn't on the ship with Franky, Chopper and Sanji who had opted out of adventuring across the island this time around; no, Luffy was probably wandering around, just as lost as they were. But they would have crossed paths with him at some point at least, right? Maybe Nami had found him. But then again, Nami and Luffy had left at different times, which was odd, because they had acted so close recently. Maybe a little too close for his tastes.

Come to think of it, he hadn't seen Nami in a while either…

Ussop felt realisation dawn on him. Almost immediately afterwards, a blush slowly crawled up his cheeks in pursuit of this enlightenment, and Ussop wished that he could un-think the unthinkable. His mind was now burning as much as his cheeks as he sped up his pace and chased after Robin, Brook and Zoro.

"Hey guys! Wait for me!"

Maybe getting lost wasn't such a bad idea after all.


	2. Broken Heart

"_I've had my wake-up,_

_Won't you wake up?"_

_(Slipped Away, Avril Lavigne)_

Nami perched on her favourite spot on the ship, leaning back against the Sunny's wooden mane. She began to lazily trail her fingers across the wood that was still in top condition even after many years at sea. The setting sun cast a warm glow over the lion figurehead, a mixture of a golden orange that was not too far off her own hair colour, and a deep red that reminded her of-

No. she couldn't allow herself to think of such things. Not yet, anyway.

A shuddery sigh fled from her throat, seeking freedom in the endless void of sea and sky in front of her. She could see it leaving her body, a pale mist of carbon dioxide meeting the cold air coming in from the nearby island. She could just about spy the island on the horizon, almost blending into the fiery sunset with its palette of reds and oranges. Such originality.

She watched as another breath left her mouth, her lips trembling from the cold. Oh, how she craved a warm coat, or a hot cup of tea, or even a pair of strong arms to hold her-

There were those cursed thoughts again. Nami shook her head, trying to get rid of them. Squeezing her eyes shut, she envisioned the colour white, thinking of nothing but blank thoughts. When she opened them again, her chocolate orbs met the skyline, thanking whoever controlled night and day for darkening the sky with streaks of blue and purple. At least now the red clouds would not be as distracting for her.

"Nami-san."

Nami stood up and peered over the Sunny's mane, spotting Sanji and Zoro standing just below her, gazing up with sympathetic eyes. She smiled weakly at them, too exhausted to give them her usual bright grin.

Further away from her were Robin, Franky and Brook, standing around a table with cards and glasses of cola and juice set on top of it. Their chairs were behind them, as though they had only just risen. Robin and Franky shared the same care-worn expressions as the first mate and cook, while Brook had his head slightly bowed, his way of showing sadness or worry.

Usopp and Chopper hung even further back, both of them sitting on the swing. Usopp had Chopper sitting on his knee, holding his best friend gently like he was only a child. The reindeer doctor was already drifting off to sleep, the fur on his cheeks matted together from the tears that had decorated his face earlier, while the sniper lazily dragged his foot along the ground, giving the swing a little momentum. Though Usopp wouldn't admit it, he was more than sure that it wasn't only Chopper's tears that had soaked his hide; sometimes, even real men needed a shoulder to cry on.

"We're heading off to bed now. Do you need anything?" Nami felt her eyes drift back to Sanji and Zoro. She put a little more happiness into her smile than she felt, trying to reassure her nakamas.

"Aa, I'll be fine. I'll shout if I need anything."

She knew her answer wouldn't do much to satisfy them, but at least it would ease some of the tension they felt. Zoro and Sanji gazed up at her with pity, before nodding and turning on their heels to leave. They headed to the men's dorm, along with Brook and Franky trailing behind them, with Zoro lifting Chopper from Usopp's limp arms as he passed them.

Robin stayed a little longer, wanting to comfort her best friend but not wanting to disturb her from her thoughts. After keeping a silent vigil for ten minutes, she left Nami alone with a sorrowful sigh. Usopp rose to his feet and slowly made his way up to the crow's nest to start his night watch shift, not even sparing a glance at anyone. When he reached the hatch, however, he looked over at Nami, or at least in her direction, with grief and tears in his eyes. He then turned back to his original goal and lifted the hatch, slipping silently into the crow's nest.

Nami pulled her legs to her chest, hugging them tightly as she listened to the sounds of her crew leaving her so that they could hit the hay. Even when it was completely silent after Robin left her, she waited. The sky changed from red and orange to blue and purple, and still she waited. It wasn't until the first star of the night had appeared did she dare to let her tears that she had bottled up for the day flow freely. Her body shook, racked with sobs and sorrow.

She let herself remember everything; that horrible, tragic day that everything slipped through her fingers like sand, when nothing went right for her. That day when he covered her broken weak body with his own to shield her from the constant onslaught of attacks from both Marines and pirates alike, when she had collapsed after receiving one too many blows. Nami cursed him for protecting her when he was so obviously injured, and saving her life when he could have lived and beat their opponents without breaking a sweat. Now, not only was he gone, but they would still have to face their enemies again in the future.

Finally, she let herself think of him. The image of his raven locks framing his boyish face was still fresh in her mind, as well as the scar and stitches under his left eye and his full beautiful lips that were constantly curved upwards in his characteristic grin. He still grinned even as he died, still shielding her from the harsh world around them. His bottomless onyx eyes seemed to be smiling as he repeated the words he had told her everyday over and over again, as if to remind her why he was protecting her.

"I love you, Nami."

Nami cried harder as she replayed his last words in her head, her tears soaking her skin and clothes. She wanted and needed him so badly at that moment, to hold her close and assure her that everything would be alright. She imagined him laughing as he patted her back affectionately, his warmth comforting her.

She wasn't surprised that she could now feel the warmth that she was imagining, but she was surprised when the warmth wrapped its arms around her, breathing into her hair deeply. She snapped her head up when the bundle of warmth spoke.

"Mummy, I miss daddy too."

Nami smiled shakily, wrapping her arms around her pride and joy. Little stubby fingers reached out and touched her cheek, wiping away the tears that had left their marks on her face. The arm then retracted to be able to wrap itself around Nami's shoulders. Dark hair tickled her face, making her shin itch, but she didn't want to move it out of the way.

Nami squeezed the child with equally fragile emotions to her as she took comfort in the fact that she did not lose everything. She still had her nakamas, the ones she loved, her dream, Cocoyashi, and the lifeline that Luffy had left her with wrapped tightly in her arms. No matter what, she would not give up everything that she still had. She would fight to protect them if she had to.

Sighing, she planted a kiss on her child's – _their_ child's- forehead.

"Everything will be alright, I promise."

At these words, the arms around her tightened. Nami hummed a lullaby until her precious baby had gone limp in her arms, signifying that sleep had won the battle against staying up to be comforting. Nami lifted the fatigued bundle, cradling her child to her bosom, before leaping down from the figurehead.

Yes, Nami's heart was broken.

No, it would never heal.

But with Luffy's legacy in her arms, she knew she could cope.


	3. Conversations with my 13 year old self

"_You're angry, I know this,_

_The world couldn't care less_

_You're lonely, I feel this,_

_And you wish you were the best_

_No teachers or guidance, and you_

_Always walk alone_

_You're crying at night when_

_Nobody else is home"_

_(Conversations with my 13 year old self, P!nk)_

Nami huddled against the barrel, cradling her arm close to her as blood seeped through her fingers. It felt warm, a stark contrast to her frozen, clammy skin. Nami didn't care about that though, as she could hardly feel the pain from her wound because of the cold; it numbed her arm, forcing her pain receptors to dull and give up on feeling anything.

Just 70,000,000 berries to go, and then all of this madness would be over.

She tensed as she heard the yells of the pirate crew looking for her, scorn evident in their voices. If they ever managed to get their hands on her, they would tear her apart, limb from limb. Or so they say. She won't let them catch her, she still had too much to do, too many people to lie to and steal from, and just as many people to save.

Nami curled into a ball as thunder rumbled overhead, drowning out the angry shouts of the men and the gunshots that followed. She didn't want to know what was going on out there, because, knowing those men, they were mowing down anyone who they saw as being in their way and the streets would be decorated with the same substance that was still trickling down her arm. Suddenly, lightening flashed and screams could be heard, crying out in agony. Then, all was quiet.

No screams. No shouts. No gunshots or any sound whatsoever- It was eerie, to say the least. Nami waited for a few moments, the silence ringing in her ears, before sticking her head around the side of the barrel. She could see the pirate crew that had been trailing her scattered among the rubble that used to be the town square. They seemed to have smoke curling off them, their skin charred and burnt. The statue that had originally stood proud and tall in the centre was now a mess of tiny rocks and shards of stone.

Amongst all of the debris and bodies, a tall, curvaceous woman stood, admiring the trouble that she had caused. Her ginger locks flowed down her back with grace, curling and twisting as though she had had them specially done for this particular occasion. In her hand was a long, slender rod that appeared to be blue, though Nami couldn't be sure from this distance. A billow of something – smoke? Clouds? Ashes? – was pouring itself out of the end of the rod, before being snuffed out when the woman blew it away. Slowly, the woman started to turn in Nami's direction.

Her heartbeat quickened as she pressed herself back to the wall. No matter what, she couldn't let this woman, who seemed to have single-handedly defeated a whole crew of men twice her size, see her. That woman didn't seem to have any sort of remorse, judging by the way she was chuckling after beating the men up. She wouldn't hesitate in killing Nami, if given the chance.

As the footsteps of the woman came closer, Nami prepared herself for the worst, fear forcing her instincts to kick in. Just before she reached her hiding place, the young girl leapt out and ran for her life, not caring about the woman close behind her, her arm, or the fact that the bag of berries seemed so light-

The money. She had forgotten it. And now she couldn't turn back to get it, or the woman would kill her.

"Oi!"

Nami felt tears prick her eyes. All of her hard work on this trip had been wasted. Arlong would be infuriated that she had not lived up to her side of the bargain. He would-

"Oi, Arlong will be mad if you don't take the money to him!"

Her blood froze in her veins. What? How did she know? How did she find out that she worked for Arlong? That woman… she was probably a Marine! She couldn't let her catch her. Not in a million years!

The woman had other ideas; as soon as Nami had darted around the next corner, the woman caught her in a death grip, squeezing Nami's arms to her sides. No matter how much she squirmed or kicked her attacker, she couldn't wriggle her way out of the vice-like hold that imprisoned her. What the woman did next surprised her.

She pulled Nami to her, loosening her grip just a little. Before Nami knew it, she was encased in a soothing bear hug, with the woman whispering comforting words in her ear. She felt a pressure on her head as the woman stroked her hair, telling her that everything would be alright. But Nami was scared; this woman knew about her, and she was confusing her with her mixed messages. Why did she wipe out all of those men, and hug her? Who was she?

The woman pulled back, revealing her face to Nami. She looked so familiar. She had brown eyes, just like her own, and her ginger hair framed her face, the same way as her hair did. The resemblance was uncanny, and that made Nami feel even more uneasy.

"Who… who are you? And how do you know Arlong?"

The woman smiled sadly, her finger ghosting over the cut on her arm. Nami flinched, drawing her wounded arm away from the woman; she couldn't be trusted, despite her sympathetic smile and caring words. The woman sighed in response to Nami's guarded movements, and plonked herself down on the ground in front of the confused pre-teen. Crossing her legs below her, Nami did the same, albeit a little further away than she originally was from the woman.

"I'm you. Or at least, I'm what you will be. I suppose that answers your second question too."

Nami gasped, leaping to her feet. The liar! It's impossible for this… this _weirdo_ to be her future self! It would defy all logic for a future self and a present self to meet! Nami had to get away from this woman, and fast; she has obviously lost her marbles and could lash out at any moment due to her mental instability. However, just as she leapt to her feet, she felt a hand grab hold of her wrist, pulling her back to the nutter claiming to be her.

"Calm down, and listen to me. I remember being you, running away from a woman who looked a bit like me who I thought was crazy, especially because she had beat up a whole load of pirates that were chasing after me and then she hugged me out of the blue."

Nami gulped, not liking where this conversation was heading.

"I also remember being Arlong's slave for years, attempting to kill him at any chance I got. I remember being stuck in that awful, cold room for weeks on end, drawing maps for the man I hated most. I remember Belle-mere, the one woman I trusted in the whole world, being taken from me in cold blood by a gun, and the heartache I felt for the rest of my life after losing her."

Nami stopped struggling, turning around to face the woman who knew so much about her with shock evident in her features. Only she and Nojiko knew these things. Not even the villagers, not even Gen-san, knew about Nami's troubles. Maybe, just maybe, what the woman had to say had a ring of truth to it, if nothing else. There was a lull in the one-sided conversation, so Nami took the chance to study the woman.

She was pretty, with her eyes being her most prominent features. Her smile was small until the point when Nami had stopped struggling, changing into a large, dazzling grin. If Nami craned her neck far enough, she could just about make out a blue tattoo, swirling on her left arm where her own tattoo showing that she had been branded an 'Arlong Pirate' was. She couldn't be sure, but Nami thought that she could see a faint scar cutting through the tattoo, the silvery skin tinted blue from the ink.

Satisfied that Nami was now willing to hear her out, the woman – future Nami – continued to speak.

"But I also remember happier times, like picking mikans from the trees when they were ripe enough, and Belle-mere and Nojiko smiling over my map of Cocoyashi. "

Nami smiled as she let her memories of Belle-mere come back to her. Her red, oddly shaven hair; her familiar and comforting smell of mikans; her own special brand of 'haute couture' hand-me-downs from Nojiko; her laugh as she told Nami and Nojiko to keep on smiling, no matter what hardships they face. Not to mention her cooking, her mikan sauce was to die for-

Nami felt her smile drop as she thought that one word, the one word that she hated to link to her mother. Die. It was such a horrible, blunt word. Her future self seemed to notice the change in her aura, as she quickly started to speak again. Or maybe she remembered thinking those morbid thoughts, and wished to stop her train of thought. Who knew?

"And, even though you haven't experienced it yet, I remember the time I was saved from Arlong's clutches by a man who called me his nakama, and meant it. That's why I'm here right now, to give you hope when you need it most. Because I remember being in your situation, and that whacko woman's words actually comforted me."

With those words, the woman – future Nami – smiled, and rose to her feet. Reaching out a hand to her younger counterpart, she hauled pre-teen Nami to her feet, brushing off any lint from her own jeans and from her younger self's dress. Once any offending dust and dirt had been eradicated, the older woman hugged Nami again, but this time, the hug was returned.

Future Nami pulled away, patting her younger self's head before turning on her heel to walk away.

"O-Oi! Wait up!"

"No can do, I'm afraid. I have an important event that I cannot miss for the world."

"What's that? And how are you getting back to your own time?"

"The Pirate King's Coronation, of course. And I'll find my way back eventually. We don't get lost easily, y'know."

Nami froze in her tracks. Pirate King? Why on earth would she want to see the Pirate King's Coronation? Why would she be so happy about it? It's a filthy, rotten _pirate_, for goodness sake! She should be terrified, or bubbling with rage, not… _pleased_.

"Not all pirates are as bad as you think."

Nami looked up at future Nami. She seemed so determined and truthful, and she had believed what she had said up until this point in time, but Nami wasn't ready to believe that. Not just yet, anyhow. All pirates were the same; lying, cheating scoundrels, herself included.

"A-At least tell me… what will this man look like?"

Future Nami turned back around to her. Something seemed a little… off about her. Maybe it was the fact that her skin seemed to be glowing a little, or perhaps it was because she _appeared to be disappearing_ before Nami's eyes. It was a tad unsettling to see the empty street behind her through her body.

"Sorry, but that's something you'll have to find out for yourself."

She was almost completely gone by now. Nami could just about make out her outline and her smile, she was fading so fast.

"Let me tell you just one more thing-"

She never finished her sentence.

Nami stared at the now empty space that her future self had previously occupied. She wondered what she was going to say, had she not disappeared so suddenly. She stood like that for a long time, letting time slip past her, before she realised that she would have to hurry to get the next boat to Cocoyashi. Lifting her sack of berries, she threw it over her shoulder as she made her way to the docks, picking her way back through the charred bodies her future self had left behind. She knew the papers would have a field day trying to explain this tomorrow.

"SHAHAHAHAHAH! Our beloved Cartographer has returned!"

Arlong's voice rang through her head as she stormed past him, making her way up the stairs to her room. She didn't care for his 'Welcome Home!' parties that he always threw when she had returned from a successful trip; besides, she had money to count and hide in the place that Nojiko had told her about. She had previously hid all of her money in her room in various locations, but now she was running out of space- so Nojiko suggested hiding the money amongst the mikan trees at their plantation, where no one would touch it. Now, she just needed to collect the money from her room.

Throwing her bag onto her bed, she dashed around the room, gathering all of the berries that she had stolen so far into a pile. Opening the sack that she had used on this expedition, Nami stuffed the money into it, hearing a slight rustle of paper as she did so. Curious, she reached into the bag and ruffled around a bit, before finding a crushed up piece of paper with loopy hand-writing on it.

What the words actually said made her smile, with a sense of happiness thrumming in her chest.

"Sometimes, miracles really do fall from the sky."


End file.
